Snana-yatra

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

Your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

 

Nanda Gopal Dasa

 

CC Madhya 11.68

TEXT 68

narendre asiya sabe haila vidyamana

tan-sabare cahi vasa prasada-samadhana

TRANSLATION

"All of them have already arrived on the bank of Lake Narendra and are waiting

there. I desire residential quarters and prasadam arrangements for them."

PURPORT

Narendra is a small lake still existing in Jagannatha Puri, where the

Candana-yatra festival takes place. Up to the present date, all the Bengali

devotees who visit the Jagannatha temple first take their bath in this lake.

There they wash their hands and feet before entering the temple.

 

CC Madhya 13.8

TEXT 8

balistha dayita' gana--yena matta hati

jagannatha vijaya karaya kari' hatahati

TRANSLATION

The very strongly built dayitas [carriers of the Jagannatha Deity] were as

powerful as drunken elephants. They manually carried Lord Jagannatha from the

throne to the car.

PURPORT

The word dayita refers to one who has received the mercy of the Lord. Lord

Jagannatha has a number of stalwart servants known as dayitas. These servants

do not come from very high-caste families (brahmanas, ksatriyas or vaisyas),

but because they are engaged in the service of the Lord, they have been

elevated to a respected position. Thus they are known as dayitas. These

servants of Lord Jagannatha take care of the Lord from the day of the

Snana-yatra up to the time the Lord is carried from the throne to the Ratha

car. In the Ksetra-mahatmya these dayitas are said to come from the sabaras, a

caste that keeps and sells pigs. However, among the dayitas there are also many

who come from the brahmana caste. Those dayitas coming from the brahmana

families are called dayita-patis, or leaders of the dayitas. The dayita-patis

offer food such as sweetmeats to Lord Jagannatha during the anavasara, the

resting period after Snana-yatra. They also make the early-morning offering of

sweetmeats daily. It is said that during the anavasara Lord Jagannatha suffers

from fever and that the dayita-patis offer Him an infusion of drugs represented

by fruit juice. It is said that in the beginning Lord Jagannatha was worshiped

by the sabaras and was known as the Deity Nila Madhava. Later, when the Deity

was established in the temple, the Lord became known as Jagannatha. Because the

Deities were taken from the sabaras, all the sabara devotees were elevated to

the position of dayitas.

 

Antya TEXT 41

ei-mate vaisnava saba nilacale aila

daive jagannathera se dina jala-lila

TRANSLATION

Thus all the Vaisnavas from Bengal went to Jagannatha Puri. By chance, they

arrived on the day when Lord Jagannatha performs pastimes in the water.

Antya 10.42

TEXT 42

narendrera jale `govinda' naukate cadiya

jala-krida kare saba bhakta-gana lana

SYNONYMS

narendrera jale-upon the water of the lake known as Narendra-sarovara;

govinda-Lord Govinda; naukate cadiya-getting aboard a boat; jala-krida

kare-displays His water pastimes; saba bhakta-gana-all the devotees;

lana-taking.

TRANSLATION

Boarding a boat in the water of Narendra-sarovara, Lord Govinda performed His

water pastimes with all the devotees.

Antya 10.43

TEXT 43

sei-kale mahaprabhu bhakta-gana-sange

narendre aila dekhite jala-keli-range

TRANSLATION

Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived with His personal associates to see the

jubilant pastimes of Lord Jagannatha in Narendra-sarovara.

Antya 10.44

TEXT 44

sei-kale aila saba gaudera bhakta-gana

narendrete prabhu-sange ha-ila milana

TRANSLATION

At the same time, all the devotees from Bengal arrived at the lake and had a

great meeting with the Lord.

Antya 10.45

TEXT 45

bhakta-gana pade asi' prabhura carane

uthana prabhu sabare kaila alingane

TRANSLATION

All the devotees immediately fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

and the Lord lifted and embraced every one of them.

Antya 10.46

TEXT 46

gaudiya-sampradaya saba karena kirtana

prabhura milane uthe premera krandana

TRANSLATION

The Gaudiya-sampradaya, consisting of all the devotees from Bengal, began

congregational chanting. When they met the Lord, they began to cry loudly in

ecstatic love.

Antya 10.47

TEXT 47

jala-krida, vadya, gita, nartana, kirtana

maha-kolahala tire, salile khelana

TRANSLATION

Because of the pastimes in the water, there was great jubilation on the shore,

with music, singing, chanting and dancing creating a tumultuous sound.

Antya 10.48

TEXT 48

gaudiya-sankirtane ara rodana miliya

maha-kolahala haila brahmanda bhariya

TRANSLATION

Indeed, the chanting and crying of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas mixed and created a

tumultuous sound vibration that filled the entire universe.

Antya 10.49

TEXT 49

saba bhakta lana prabhu namilena jale

saba lana jala-krida karena kutuhale

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the water with His devotees and began His

pastimes with them in great jubilation.

Antya 10.50

TEXT 50

prabhura ei jala-krida dasa-vrndavana

`caitanya-mangale' vistari' kariyachena varnana

TRANSLATION

In his Caitanya-mangala [now known as Caitanya-bhagavata], Vrndavana dasa

Thakura has given a detailed description of the activities the Lord performed

in the water.

Antya 10.51

TEXT 51

punah ihan varnile punarukti haya

vyartha likhana haya, ara grantha badaya

TRANSLATION

There is no use in again describing here the activities of the Lord. It would

simply be repetitious and would increase the size of this book.

Antya 10.52

TEXT 52

jala-lila kari' govinda calila alaya

nija-gana lana prabhu gela devalaya

TRANSLATION

After concluding His pastimes in the water, Lord Govinda returned to His

residence. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the temple, taking all His

devotees with Him.

PURPORT

The Deity referred to herein as Govinda is the vijaya-vigraha in the temple of

Jagannatha. When there is a need to take Jagannatha somewhere, the

vijaya-vigraha is taken because the body of Jagannatha is very heavy. The

vijaya-vigraha in the Jagannatha temple is known as Govinda. For the pastimes

in Narendra-sarovara, the vijaya-vigraha was carried there instead of Lord

Jagannatha.

 

Caitanya-bhagavata Antya Lila Eight

Text 64

Then Lord Caitanya went to Narendra-sarovara. There the two groups of devotees

saw each other.

Text 65

Seeing each other from afar, the two groups of Vaisnavas at once offered

dandavat obeisances.

Text 66

Seeing Advaita Acarya from far away, Lord Caitanya, the king of Vaikuntha,

tears streaming down His face, offered dandavat obeisances.

Text 67

Seeing the master of His life from far away, Sri Advaita bowed down again and

again.

Text 68

He wept, trembled, perspired, and fell unconscious. The hairs of His body

stood erect. He roared. He offered dandavat obeisances. He did not see anyone

but His Lord.

Text 69

In this way the two groups of devotees offered dandavat obeisances. They were

all wild with love for Lord Caitanya.

Text 70

Whether big, small, learned, or not learned, everyone offered dandavat

obeisances and chanted Lord Hari's holy names.

Text 71

Lord Caitanya offered dandavat obeisances to the devotees. Lord Advaita and

others did the same.

Text 72

Everyone offered dandavat obeisances again and again. In this way the two

groups joyfully met.

Text 73

They joyfully gazed at each other. They loudly chanted the holy names of Lord

Hari. They loudly wept with joy.

Text 74

Does a mere human being have the power to describe all this? Vedavyasa will

describe it later. Lord Ananta Sesa will describe it with His thousand mouths.

Text 75

Seeing Advaita, Lord Caitanya embraced Him and sprinkled His limbs with tears

of joy and love.

Text 76

Reciting a verse, Advaita offered obeisances. Advaita was bliss personified.

Text 77

Many things were brought with which to worship Lord Caitanya. Everyone forgot.

None of the articles of worship were brought out.

Text 78

Again and again lionlike Lord Advaita joyfully roared, "I brought Him! I

brought Him!"

Text 79

The holy names of Lord Hari were chanted very loudly. I think the chanting

must have filled all the worlds.

Text 80

Forgetting everything else, the Vaisnavas chanted, "Hari!" and wept.

Text 81

Embracing each other's necks, the devotees wept with joy and chanted, "Hari!

Hari!"

Text 82

Everyone bowed down before Advaita Acarya, who made Lord Caitanya descend to

this world.

Text 83

Then the two groups of devotees made a very loud kirtana.

Text 84

Who danced where? Who sang from what directions? Who fell to the ground and

rolled about where?

Text 85

Seeing Lord Caitanya, everyone became wild with bliss. Supremely glorious Lord

Caitanya danced in the midst of everyone.

Text 86

Nityananda and Advaita embraced. Like two wild lions, They joyfully danced.

Text 87

With a heart full of love Lord Caitanya embraced all the Vaisnavas, one by

one.

Text 88

Lord Caitanya, who is the devotees' master and life, held the devotees' necks

and wept.

Text 89

By Lord Caitanya's order, at that moment sandal paste and thousands and

thousands of garlands were brought from Lord Jagannatha.

Text 90

Seeing Lord Jagannatha's garlands, Lord Caitanya was happy. First He placed a

garland around Lord Advaita's neck.

Text 91

With His own graceful hands, Lord Caitanya placed garlands and sandal paste on

the body of each Vaisnava.

Text 92

Seeing the Lord's mercy, the devotees raised their arms and loudly wept.

Text 93

Everyone grasped Lord Caitanya's feet and asked for boons. They said, "Birth

after birth may I never forget You, O Lord.

Text 94

"Whether I take birth as a human being, an animal, or a bird, may I always

gaze on Your lotus feet.

Text 95

"O Lord, O ocean of mercy, please give this boon to me." Grasping the Lord's

lotus feet, all the devotees wept.

Text 96

Staying at a distance, the Vaisnavas' saintly wives, who were all devoted to

their husbands, gazed on Lord Caitanya and wept.

Text 97

Their tears of love had no end. They were not different from the

transcendental potency of Lord Visnu.

Text 98

Lord Caitanya said of them, "In knowledge and devotion, they are their

husbands' equals."

Text 99

Performing a sankirtana filled with singing, dancing, and instrumental music,

the devotees walked with Lord Caitanya.

Text 100

In this way there was a great display of love and devotion. Never have I seen

anything like the joy manifested then.

Text 101

Going ten dandas from Atharanala, Lord Caitanya went to Narendra-sarovara.

Text 102

At that time the Deities of Krsna, Balarama, and Sri Govinda had come to enjoy

water-pastimes at Narendra-sarovara.

Text 103

There was a great tumult of Lord Hari's holy names. The mrdangas, conchshells,

bheris, and jayatakas made a great sound.

Text 104

Thousands and thousands of parasols, flags, and camaras made the four

directions very beautiful.

Text 105

There was a great sound of "Jaya! Jaya!" and great sounds of Lord Hari's holy

names. No sound but those could be heard.

Text 106

In this way the Deities of Krsna, Balarama, and Sri Govinda crossed

Narendra-sarovara in a boat.

Text 107

Lord Jagannatha's servants and Lord Caitanya's associates met and joined in

sankirtana.

Text 108

In this way the two groups became one. What bliss was there! Did the

personified bliss of Vaikuntha come to that place?

Text 109

In the four directions the bliss had no end. Lord Caitanya performed

sankirtana nad made others perform it also.

Text 110

When the Deities of Krsna, Balarama, and Sri Govinda emerged from Their boat,

from the four directions a host of devotees waved camara fans.

Text 111

Seeing the boat ride enjoyed by the Deities of Krsna, Balarama, and Sri

Govinda, Lord became happy.

Text 112

Accompanied by all the devotees, Lord Caitanya happily jumped into the waters

of Narendra-sarovara.

Text 113

O my brothers, please hear how Lord Caitanya enjoyed pastimes in

Narendra-sarovara.

114-Text 115

As He had previous enjoyed water-pastimes with the cowherd boys in the Yamuna,

so the Lord enjoyed pastimes in Narendra-sarovara with all the Vaisnavas.

Text 116

In West Bengal a water-game called "kaya" is popular. The devotees began by

playing that game.

Text 117

Chanting, "Kaya! Kaya!", the devotees splashed water with their hands. Other

devotees played musical instruments in the water.

Text 118

Everyone was in the mood of the cowherd boys in Gokula. Then Lord Caitanya

entered the mood of Lord Krsna, the king of Gokula.

Text 119

No one was in external consciousness. Everyone was wild with bliss. Everyone

fearlessly splashed water on the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 120

Lord Caitanya and Lord Advaita splashed water on each other. In this way They

enjoyed blissful pastimes.

Text 121

One moment Lord Advaita was victorious, but the next moment Lord Caitanya was

the victor. They splashed water in each other's eyes.

Text 122

Nityananda, Gadadhara, and Sri Puri Gosai, these three fought in the water. No

one of them emerged the victor.

Text 123

Vasudeva Datta and Murari Gupta fought again and again in the water. They

roared with bliss.

Text 124

The two friends Pundarika Vidyanidhi and Svarupa Damodara joyfully splashed

water on each other and laughed.

 

125-Text 126

Srivasa, Sri Rama, Haridasa, Vakresvara, Gangadasa, Gopinatha, and Sri

Candrasekhara splashed water on each other. In Lord Caitanya's company they had

become wild with bliss.

Text 127

After the Deities of Krsna, Balarama, and Sri Govinda had enjoyed Their boat

trip, many hundreds of thousands of devotees played in the water.

Text 128

Playing in the water, the sannyasis, brahmacaris, and sannyasis floated in

bliss.

Text 129

No person still in the grip of Lord Caitanya's Maha-maya had the power to come

to that place. They had no power to see these pastimes.

Text 130

No person with only a little good fortune had the power to become one of Lord

Caitanya's personal associates. Lord Caitanya is subdued and controlled only by

pure devotional service.

Text 131

When devotional service is absent, then learning and austerity are not worth

anything. They bring only sufferings.

Text 132

Look at the bliss of sankirtana Lord Caitanya enjoyed in Jagannatha Puri.

Text 133

The impersonalist sannyasis, who called themselves "great-souls", were not

fortunate enough to see these pastimes.

Text 134

One impersonalist said, "Why, rejecting the study of Vedanta, does Caitanya

perform these rowdy kirtanas?

Text 135

"A sannyasi's duty is always to perform pranayama. But this sannyasi dances

and weeps. Is that right for a sannyasi?"

Text 136

The best of the sannyasis defended the Lord. One of them said, "Sri Krsna

Caitanya is a great soul."

Text 137

Someone else said, "He is a philosopher." Another person said, "He is a

devotee." The good sannyasis praised Him, but none knew the truth about Him.

Text 138

In this way the Vaisnavas enjoyed water pastimes with the Supreme Personality

of Godhead.

Text 139

As He had previously enjoyed water-pastimes in the Yamuna, so Lord Caitanya

enjoiyed with the devotees.

Text 140

By Lord Caitanya's mercy Narendra-sarovara became the Ganga and the Yamuna.

Its glory and good fortune had no end.

Text 141

The Lord enjoyed these pastimes to deliver the conditioned souls. By hearing

or reading of these pastimes one breaks the bonds of karma.

Text 142

When the water pastimes came to an end, Lord Caitanya and the devotees went to

see Lord Jagannatha.